Resilient wheel.



P. L. MUSA.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAYJQ, 1915- 1, 177,435 Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET ll ATTO R N EY P. L. MUSA.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19. 1915.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

MLMLLSQJNVENTOR 7 9 W3 J w I.

WITNESSE ATTORN EY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRM H (20., WASHXNUTON, D. c.

TE WE OFFICE PAUL LEO MUsA, or wENAroHnE, WASHINGTON.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of ietters Patent. Y Patentd lIQrlZS, 1916.

Applicationfiled May 19, 1915. Serial No. 29,189.

there is provided a rim designed to carry any suitable kind of a tire, whether rubber or metal, and this rim is connected to a hub by spokes, which latter comprise two telescoping members each of which is hollow,

' and both have pistons within them connected together by a rod which in turn is surrounded by a spring contained within the larger one of the hollow spoke members.- The spokes are connected at the respective ends to the rim and hub by pivot connections and between the spokes at the hub ends elastic blocks are inserted, so that while the spokes may yield for certain purposes they are sufficiently resistant because of the presence of theelastic blocks to admit of the application of a driving force to the axle without producing undue distortion of the wheel.

.The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccomnanyingdrawin s forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention. the latter is not-confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and m-"dified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the in vention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention with some parts broken away and some parts shown in longitudinalsecticn. Fig. 2 isa section of the rim end of a spoke and also of the rim and tire in aplane'at right angles to the showing of-Fig. 1,the drawing being on a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section-on-the line 33 of Fig.-1,with more distantparts broken away to show parts not otherwise .visible inthe section, and :more

distant parts beingomitted. 4 is aper- .sp'ective View of a yoke clip for holdingthe elastic filling blocks between the-hub ends of thespokes in place. Fig. 5'is a view similar to that of Fig. 1- but showing a modified form of the invention.

; Referring to the drawings there is shown a channel-shaped rim 1 which may be and preferablyis of channel metal in ring form.

The outer surfaceof the I'lIIl-l may be concave, as shown at 2, to receive and hold a tire 3, but the present invention is not di-'- rected to the tire construction, and hence it will be understood that any suitable form of tire and suitable form of rim may be employed. p

At proper-intervals about the rim, blocks 7 4 are secured by pivot bolts 5, which latter may be threaded at one end, as shown at6, and the rim 1 may be there provided with reinforcing plates 7 to accommodate the threaded end 6.

Each block 4 is threaded, as shownat 8, i

at the end remote from the pivot bolt 5 and there receives one end ofa tube'9 constituting one member of a spoke. It will be un-.

derstood that there are as many blocks 4 and spoke members-9 as are needed in the construction of the wheel,'and these spoke sections are distributed 'about the rim usually in. equi-spaced relation. There is also another spoke member 10 which may be of considerably larger diameter than the spoke member 9, and the latter telescopes into the member 10. Because of the difference i'n-diameters of the members 9' and 10 and for other reasons, that end of the member. 10' into which the member 9 telescopes, is provided with an elongated bushing or tubular filler 11, and that end of the spoke memberlO entered by the member 9 has a ring-shaped cap 12 covering the outer end of thebushing 11 andtraversed by the membcr 9.

That end ofthe spoke member 10 remote from the end entered by the member 9 is closedby ahead 13 whichmay be screwed thereintopand this head is formed, into. a projecting eye 14 entering a hub 15 through a peripheral passage 16 therein. The eye 1t is traversed by a pivot-pin 17 connecting the hubendofthe'spoke made up of the membersf9; and 10 to thehub, but allowing oscillation of the spoke about the pivot. 17. which'latter extends parallel with the axis otrotation ofthe'w heel. The pivot 5 is in the wheel.

similar relation to the axis of rotation of That end of thespoke section 9 remote from the rim is contracted to form a head 18 centrally traversed bya' rod 119. Connected to that end of therod 19 within the spoke;

a piston or head 21 of a diameter to snugly yet .freely move lengthwise of the spoke section l0'within the latter.

The rod 19' iscsurrounded by a helical spring 22-which-at one end bears against the head or piston 21 and at theotherend against a plate 23 of-a diameter "approximating theinner diameter of the spokesection 10. Interposed-between the plate 23 and the bushing-11 is a ring 24 and the correspondingportions of both the bushingand the plate may be grooved to'partially seat the ring-.24. Anotherring 25 is in part seated in the plate 23 and in position to en- "gage against the head 18 of the spoke sect on 9. The piston or head 20 carries a ring 26 in position to engage the-inner wall ofthe head :18 of the spoke section 9. These rings 24. 25 and 26 maybe of-some rela tively' soft material, like I1ll)l1l't0 serve both as packing ringsand as buffers- The head 13 is rovided on its inner face atabout' its middle portion with a butler block 27 designed to be engaged by the head 21 "to thereby prevent noise of contact.

Lodged between the hub ends of the snokesare segmental blocks 28 preferably of rubber or rubber composition, since it is desir'ablethat these blocks be more 'or less elastic or yielding. The blocks; at their smaller ends are seated in recesses 29 appropriatelv formed inthe peripheral portion of the hub'15. and the blocks are held in place by yoke-shaped clips 30 which may be made of Wire or other suitable metal with the free ends of the legs bent to form books 31 en- ,qa ging over thewider ends of theblocks 28. Thelyoke end of each clip SO engages under a hook-shaped lug 32 on the appropriate side face of the hub 15. Since each yoke 30 holds two blocks 28 inplace there are but half as manyyokes as-blocks, and, of, course,- thereareonly half :as many hook lugs 32 as blocks.

The structure shown in Fig. 5 is inmost respects similar to'that of Fig. 1, and where the parts are substantially alike the same reference numerals are applied. Theprincipal difference between the. structure of Fig:

' liandFig. Swis that instead ofa helical spring 22, the rod '19 has a-spring thereon in the form of rubber blocks 33 strung on the rod.i' each block being provided withla protecting zycapv 34 at the end meetingthe next adiacent block and its cap. In place of the'head or piston 21 of Fig. 1 the structure of Fig 5 has a cupped or (lishedhead 21 is capable of riding; Ifit'be assumed thatv stead of atthe top of the Wheel, as indicated there .i's'a'plate 23 having the aface engaged;

by the adjacent ball 33 dished to accomino;-

date such ball.= Instead of the rings25iand= 26 thehead 18 of the-spoke member 9 car-r ries elastic studs 26 formingmbufiersfor both the piston 20 and the plate 26.

Suppose that a Wheel constructed as de.-. 7

scribed and traveling. along. the roadway meets, an obstruction over which the :wheeli.

that portion of the rimzl and'tire 3shownp 1n-Fig.:1 be in contact with the roadway in-i in the figure, the obstruction Will tendlto move-the rim 1 toward the axle by causing;

the spoke section 9'totelescopetoa greater extent into the spoke. section 10. springs 22 are assumedto .beunder approa priate'tension to support the'weight of: the a vehicle, and hence exert considerable pres-a sure upon the head 13 and'plate 23 holding the parts of-the spoke in=the positionshown: i

in Fig. 1. The telescopingimovement of the spoke section 9' into the spoke section-.10

causes additional pressure: tobe exertedil upon the plate 23 forcing. the latter to com-:

'pressthe spring 22,-but as the rod 19 -.is :a

rigid rodthe head or piston .20 does not, participate in this movement, buthasa relative movement into the spoke section 9,.

much after the mannerof a. pump; pistonf.

The'elevation .of' the rod engaging portion of the r'im'is participated in by the whole rim so that if the then uppermost spoke :be. considered,. the spoke section-9 moves out ofil the spoke section 10* and the normal engag'e- V ment of the piston 20iwiththe head 18 causes 1 a movement of the rod .19 with the spoke section 9.- This movement causes alike mover;

ment of the head 21,.th'erebycompressing the spring22', Thehead 21 if fitting the spoke-section 10 in a sufficiently snug anan-j ner compresses the air within thespok'egsed tionlO after the manner of a pump. While these actions are takingplace'those SPOIKQSf I air pressure caused within'the tubular spoke.

sections?) and 10 when the springs 22 yield,

and this whether theispokes are contracted or normal. Moreover, the blocks 28, though" yieldable to movements of the rim to permit those spokes which happen to be in the horii8 0 zontal position to rock in parti'cipation'with the rim movements, afi'ord sufiicient resistance to twisting movements of the hub to allow the use of the wheel as a drive wheel. Thus while the wheel is in motion, it will absorb the shock and abnormalities caused by passing over obstructions or from undue sudden pressure bearing on the axle, through the contracting movement of the springs which follows each half revolution of the wheel with a constant equal distribution of weight, shock, tension and resiliency throughout the entire wheel.

To aid in excluding dust or dirt an elastic tube may be slipped over the piston end of each spoke with one end of the tube clamped to the rim andthe other cylinder.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A resilient wheel provided with a rim, a hub and spokes, the latter each comprising telescoping hollow members, a rod extending axially of the spoke members and provided with a piston at each end fixed thereto, one piston being located in one spoke member and the other piston in the other spoke member, and each piston being of a diameter substantially that of the interior diameter of the member containing it to move snugly yet freely therein, and a spring within one of the members surrounding the rod and normallv holding the pistons at similar ends of the hollow members.

2. A resilient wheel provided with a rim, a hub and telescoping spokes connecting the rim and hub, each spoke comprising tubular members in telescoping relation, a rod extending axially of the tubular members with a piston at one end in normal engagement with that end of the ,larger spoke member remote from the smaller spoke member and at the other end provided with a piston within the smaller spoke member, said pistons being each of a diameter substantially that of the interior diameter of the member containing it, so as to move snugly, yet freely therein, a plate within the larger spoke member adjacent to and within the range of movement of that end of the smaller spoke member enteringthe larger member, and a spring surrounding the rod with one end in engagement with the first-named p ston and the other end in engagement with the plate.

3. A resilient wheel provided with a rim, a hub and telescoping spokes connecting the rim and hub, each spoke comprising tubular members in telescoping relation, a rod extending axially of the tubular members with a piston at one end in normal engagement with that end of the larger spoke member remote from the smaller spoke member and at the other end provided with a piston within the smaller spoke member, a plate end tothe large end of said smaller member.

4:. A resilient wheel provided withfa rim, a hub and spokes each comprising two tubular members in telescoping relation and respectively pivotally connected to the vrim and hub, the larger spoke member where entered by the smaller member having a bushing there reducing its internal diameter to substantially the external diameter of the smaller member, a rod extending lengthwise of the larger member with a piston at one end of a diameter substantiallythat of the interior diameter of the larger member, and with a piston at the other end within and of substantially the internal diameter of the smaller spoke member, a plate within the larger member adjacent to the bushing, and a spring surrounding the rod and bearing at opposite ends against the first-named piston and the plate.

5. A resilient wheel comprising a rim, a

hub, spokes connecting the rim and hub and pivotally connected at the respective ends to the rim and hub, segmental elastic filler blocks between the spokes at the hub'ends thereof and exterior to the hub, and retaining yokes each having hook-shaped terminal portions spread apart and engaging the larger ends of two filler blocks on opposite sides of a spoke, and the hub being provided with hook projections for retaining the yokes by their yoke ends.

6. A resilient wheel comprising a rim, a hub, spokes connecting and at their respec tive ends pivoted to the rim and hub and longitudinally elastically yieldable. segmental elastic filler blocks between the hub ends of the spokes and exterior thereto, with the hub having peripheral seats for the small ends of the blocks, and retaining means for the blocks holding them in the seats and be- 7 tween the hub ends of the spokes. said retaining means each engaging'two blocks on opposite sides of .a' spoke.

In testimonv that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL LEO MUSA. Witnesses:

FDWIN S. GILL, Hoeo J. MUSA.

Copies of this patent may be oblcained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of ratents, V

' Washington, D. G. I 

